What is an administrative officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

An administrative officer oversees the daily operations of an organization, ensuring that it runs smoothly and efficiently. They are responsible for managing budgets, supervising staff, coordinating meetings, communicating with stakeholders, and maintaining records. Administrative officers perform vital work in various industries, including healthcare, government, education, and non-profit organizations to ensure all the parts of a business are working cohesively.

What general advice would you give to an administrative officer?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.

ScoreAdministrative OfficerUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $64,338

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.84%

Black or African American 9.33%

Hispanic or Latino 16.32%

Unknown 3.87%

White 65.91%

Gender

female 57.20%

male 42.80%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an administrative officer?

Pros

Stable job with regular income
Opportunities for career growth and advancement
Varied tasks and responsibilities, keeping the work interesting
Usually have regular working hours and weekends off
May receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and vacation time

Cons

May have to deal with difficult people or situations
May have limited decision-making authority or autonomy
May have to work long hours during busy periods or events
Can be viewed as a lower-level job with limited prestige or recognition
Can be affected by budget cuts or downsizing, leading to uncertainty about job security

Key steps to become an administrative officer

Explore administrative officer education requirements

Most common administrative officer degrees

Bachelor's

59.3 %

Master's

15.1 %

Associate

11.9 %

Start to develop specific administrative officer skills

Skills	Percentages
Veterans	9.10%
Human Resources	8.69%
Rehabilitation	5.15%
Personnel Actions	5.05%
Financial Management	5.03%

Complete relevant administrative officer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an administrative officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative officer resumes.

Gain additional administrative officer certifications

Administrative officer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific administrative officer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for administrative officers include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

More About Certifications

Research administrative officer duties and responsibilities

Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
Assist veterans during registration and authentication processes.
Develop agendas and PowerPoint presentations for c-level executives.
Interview patients before surgery/examinations and inform patients of necessary requirements before procedures.

Prepare your administrative officer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative officer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an administrative officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable administrative officer resume templates

Build a professional administrative officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your administrative officer resume.